Page 2 of The Thren's Fated

In the end, she had chugged a bottle of cheap red wine and hit ‘send’ on her Henios application before trying to forget about it. Much to her surprise, she’d been notified of her acceptance two days later, to the station and for a job at Ochin’s, one of the casual bars looking for new bartenders. She’d waited until she had her transpo ticket purchased before telling Greg, but now she wished she would have just left without saying anything.

“Maybe…” she said, clasping her hands in front of her to stop herself from shaking.

“Anyway, I need you for the full two weeks. It’s supposed to be busy around here this weekend.”

It was never busy in Westlip, and she’d been planning on asking for a reduced workload so she could get her final travel details organized, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to argue.

When she just nodded, Greg looked her up and down, that same repulsive smile that made her feel like he was undressing her with his eyes.

“Well? Get to work, babe. The floors aren’t going to clean themselves.”

CHAPTER 2

There had been no going-away party for Lena. In fact, she hadn’t even bothered telling her parents that Henios had accepted her application, just showed up at the transpo center with her single suitcase and left Earth.

You’ll be back soon, just like Greg said. You’ll never make it. They’re all going to see right through you.

Very likely true, though she had tried to focus on enjoying the view of Alliance space instead of fighting the black cloud of anxiety hovering over her head. She’d bought a one-way ticket, but it would only take a few months of working to afford a ride back to Earth.

This didn’t have to be permanent if she didn’t want it to be. She was sure Greg would take her back, though the thought of returning to the sleaziest bar in Westlip made her stomach turn.

Arrival on Henios had been a whirlwind, one that had almost made her forget all the anxious thoughts dancing around her head. She’d gone through security and been fitted with her neural implant by a kind human doctor in the med bay.

Though the tingling sensation of the anesthetic mist enveloping her scalp had been strange, she hadn’t even felt when the micro-injector deployed the neural filament into the base of her skull, embedding it seamlessly into her cerebral cortex. After a few minutes of internal calibration, the procedure had been completed, just as short and painless as the doctor had said.

The implant would allow her to understand all programmed alien languages and give her access to her quarters, a small but serviceable space to which a station employee had escorted her after the procedure.

There were all the usual things—a bed, a small desk and chairs, an attached bathroom with an efficient shower—though everything had that shiny, brand-new, chrome quality to it, so different from the dusty obsolescence of Earth. The wildest part was the spectacular view of Botune, the planet nearest to Henios, an Earth-like world with glittering gold dust encasing it like cloud cover.

Now that she was relatively settled, she considered what to do. She didn’t have to meet her new boss until tomorrow—the station ran on twenty-six hour days to mirror Botune’s daily cycle—but she supposed stopping by to check the bar out today wouldn’t hurt.

Lena dug through her suitcase, pulling out a casual black cropped shirt and matching pants, a relaxed fit that was similar to what she’d seen others wearing around the station. She didn’t want to stand out, preferring to blend into the crowd while she wasn’t on the clock and trying to make money.

With a deep breath, she left her new room behind, following the signs to the central hub of Henios as she made her way down the maze of corridors. A cool breeze tickled her skin, recycled air wafting from the vents just as it had done on the long shuttlecraft journey.

After a few minutes of walking, she exited into a large space with an enormous transparent dome, which provided a stunning view of the galaxy beyond. She’d been rushed through earlier by the station employee, but now she stood in awe, just trying to take it all in.

A swarming mass crisscrossed through the enormous space, each person in their own little world. Shops and restaurants lined the hallways in all directions, and directly in front of her was the place she was looking for.

Ochin’s Bar.

She observed the chaos from the edge, knowing enough to stay off to the side and out of everyone’s way. She witnessed numerous reunions, and even what appeared to be an argument. Though she obviously knew about different alien species, her hometown on Earth was not very diverse.

Very few non-humans had made their way to Westlip, and certainly no non-humanoids. The space station was a whole new world. There were all sorts of species she had only seen on television programs or learned about in school, though there were plenty of humans as well.

They were on the edge of Alliance space, so all manner of ally, neutral, and potentially hostile entities made their way through the military-run station at some point or another.

After bumping her way through the crowd, she stepped into her new workplace. It was fairly empty, with only a couple of patrons at the bar and a small group seated at a table, mid-afternoon according to Station Standard Time.

Lena took a seat at the bar and waited for someone to appear.

The female sitting a few seats down seemed to examine her closely, but said nothing. She had a feline mouth and no prominent nose, but wasn’t a species Lena recognized.

Neon lights danced around the taps and bottles as quiet instrumental music played in the background. There seemed to be something blocking out the noise from the central space and corridors; only a low din of conversation was audible from where she sat. The lighting was quite moody, different from the stark illumination of the halls, making her feel both relaxed and energized at the same time.

The bar top itself was transparent, with sparkling lights winking at her from within. Hexagonal chains linked the backdrop of the bar, as large windows showcased a view of Botune. The stools had no backs, probably better to accommodate patrons with a variety of appendages.

She couldn’t believe she was actually here. What the hell was she thinking?